Working in Canada- degree from outside Canada

[Sacksy]

Hi,

I am married to a Canadian and she is going to be sponsoring me so we can come live in Canada. If I studied to be a doctor outside of Canada, will my degree be accepted? Will I need to do residency in Canada and will I get a choice or have to take whats left?

Any advice would be helpful.

Many thanks

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[Giemsa]

Depends where you graduated from.

If you came out of a US residency program, there are a few provinces that will accept your US boards and USMLEs as equivalent to the Canadian exams. This is the easiest solution.

Otherwise, you generally need to sit the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada (hereafter the Royal College) licensing exams. To qualify to sit these, you need to have graduated from one of the following countries in one of the following specialties.

NB: The College website says "We will not process any application for credit for training in International PGME systems not listed."

More info here:
http://rcpsc.medical.org/residency/certification/img_e.php

This is to to get certification by the Royal College. This is generally required by your employer (hospital or health region) in Canada, but sometimes applicants whose credentials are otherwise recognized are given a few year's grace, during which time they are expected to pass the exams. To be licensed (legally allowed) to practice medicine, you need to be licensed by the College of Physicians and Surgeons of [whatever province you want to work in]. You need to check their requirements for licensure, as these differ slightly one province to the next.

To get a residency position in Canada (to participate in the CaRMS match) you need to be a Canadian citizen / permanent resident. In that event, the match process works similarly to the match process in the US (see www.carms.ca).